Oxford/Cotswolds itinerary suggestion
Jan 10th, 2011, 03:02 PM
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Oxford/Cotswolds itinerary suggestion
We are disembarking a Scandinavia/Russia cruise in Southampton in July. If we were to tack on a 2-3 day trip to the Cotswolds, and would like to include Oxford, what would be a suggested itinerary that would also include some walking in the hills as we are avid hikers? Would we need more time, perhaps 4 or 5 days? Would we be able to use rail or bus transportation or is a car a necessity? We are in our mid-sixties and traveling with another couple who are a few years older and would like to get as much of the flavor of the area as possible.
Jan 10th, 2011, 04:10 PM
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A car isn;t necessary for Oxford - but for the Cotswolds it makes a lot of sense. You need to allow a full day for Oxford to really see anything - and then I would think at least 2 nights in the Cotswolds to see several of the villages and do some walking.
Jan 10th, 2011, 06:07 PM
#3
You can get a very nice taste in 3days -- more would be better but 3 is fine.
You could take the train to Oxford from Southampton -- takes about 1hr 20mins. Wander around -maybe take one of the excellent walking tours through the tourist information office.
Then in the late afternoon/early evening pick up a rental car and head west to whichever B&B/hotel you choose in the Cotswolds. Some of the larger villages w/ multiple hotel choices include Chipping Campden, Burford, Stow on the Wold, Broadway and others. Burford would be the easiest drive from Oxford. Stay 2 or 3 nights and then drive back to LHR,drop the car and fly out (assuming you are using LHR)
You will definitely want to pre-book the car. Not only will it be cheaper, but also that guarantees you'd use a location that is open hours that fit w/ your plans.
You could take the train to Oxford from Southampton -- takes about 1hr 20mins. Wander around -maybe take one of the excellent walking tours through the tourist information office.
Then in the late afternoon/early evening pick up a rental car and head west to whichever B&B/hotel you choose in the Cotswolds. Some of the larger villages w/ multiple hotel choices include Chipping Campden, Burford, Stow on the Wold, Broadway and others. Burford would be the easiest drive from Oxford. Stay 2 or 3 nights and then drive back to LHR,drop the car and fly out (assuming you are using LHR)
You will definitely want to pre-book the car. Not only will it be cheaper, but also that guarantees you'd use a location that is open hours that fit w/ your plans.
Jan 10th, 2011, 10:47 PM
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If you've got a few days, a car really isn't necessary for the Cotswolds, especially if walking's in your plans (though it all takes a bit of planning): I live in them and often go for several weeks without using the car.
A car IS necessary if you want to drive round villages - but there really isn't much point in doing that, since after one or two every thatched cottage looks identical. You're also unlikely to have time, since walking is pretty time-consuming. Even a modest 5 miler will eat up most of a morning or afternoon (and a 10-15 miler most of a day), since walking here isn't about following signs on purpose-designed "trails": it's about following a map or guidebook along one of thousands of invisible (but discretely waymarked) rights of way across fields - which we call footpaths and many visitors jusdt call fields. Those footpaths are there because they connect places people have wanted to travel between for most of the past couple of thousand years - so there's usually a fair amount to stop and see, and you're never more than a couple of miles from a decent pub
A car's also necessary if you've got a list of places you believe you really must see. But since we don't hold with trivia like "must sees" here (unless you've got a list of gardens to visit), most people will get a great deal more from staying in one place, and depending on their feet to get about. You won't see many places that way - but you'll see them the way nature intended them to be seen. Staying in Burford or Chipping Campden, and doing a couple of decent one-day circular walks to the nearby towns, will give you infinitely more "flavor (sic) of the area" than weeks of gawping at tourist trap non-places like Bibury or Broadway.
For planning: public transport at http://www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/?page=Transport (ignore the plug for the Cotswolds National Trail. This is just an excuse to waste taxpayers' money on useless leaflets and jobsworths promoting one way of joining up a few footpaths). You definitely need Ordnance Survey map OL 45 (most decent bookshops sell it). One or both of the Jarrolds/OS walks books for the Cotswolds helps. A "cheat" way of walking is to use the Cotswold railway line and walk between stations (details in the "Thames to the Wye" and "Wye to the Thames" books).
And don't build up expectations of hills. This countryside rolls a lot - but "hill" is a bit of an exaggeration. Walking is about going up a bit, looking down at the town, then going back down. Repeatedly. If you want real hills, you've got to go further west. Or, if based in Oxford, try the Vale (or rather uplands) of the White Horse.
A car IS necessary if you want to drive round villages - but there really isn't much point in doing that, since after one or two every thatched cottage looks identical. You're also unlikely to have time, since walking is pretty time-consuming. Even a modest 5 miler will eat up most of a morning or afternoon (and a 10-15 miler most of a day), since walking here isn't about following signs on purpose-designed "trails": it's about following a map or guidebook along one of thousands of invisible (but discretely waymarked) rights of way across fields - which we call footpaths and many visitors jusdt call fields. Those footpaths are there because they connect places people have wanted to travel between for most of the past couple of thousand years - so there's usually a fair amount to stop and see, and you're never more than a couple of miles from a decent pub
A car's also necessary if you've got a list of places you believe you really must see. But since we don't hold with trivia like "must sees" here (unless you've got a list of gardens to visit), most people will get a great deal more from staying in one place, and depending on their feet to get about. You won't see many places that way - but you'll see them the way nature intended them to be seen. Staying in Burford or Chipping Campden, and doing a couple of decent one-day circular walks to the nearby towns, will give you infinitely more "flavor (sic) of the area" than weeks of gawping at tourist trap non-places like Bibury or Broadway.
For planning: public transport at http://www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/?page=Transport (ignore the plug for the Cotswolds National Trail. This is just an excuse to waste taxpayers' money on useless leaflets and jobsworths promoting one way of joining up a few footpaths). You definitely need Ordnance Survey map OL 45 (most decent bookshops sell it). One or both of the Jarrolds/OS walks books for the Cotswolds helps. A "cheat" way of walking is to use the Cotswold railway line and walk between stations (details in the "Thames to the Wye" and "Wye to the Thames" books).
And don't build up expectations of hills. This countryside rolls a lot - but "hill" is a bit of an exaggeration. Walking is about going up a bit, looking down at the town, then going back down. Repeatedly. If you want real hills, you've got to go further west. Or, if based in Oxford, try the Vale (or rather uplands) of the White Horse.
Jan 11th, 2011, 05:44 AM
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One of the best times I ever had was when my friend and I 'got lost' driving in the Cotswolds. We drove without knowing where we were gong - just drove down that small road and then this one. Lots of fun - came across some interesting place we had no prior knowledge of.
Jan 11th, 2011, 01:02 PM
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Hi Charp45,
For my walks around the Cotswold last September, I based myself in Cheltenham and used public transportation to the villages I wished to walk around (sometimes circular walks, sometimes from one village to another).
www.travelinesw.com is the site I used to plan the bus/train to the villages. I stayed at the George Hotel in Cheltenham which was a block from the bus terminal, and around a mile to the train (very walkable), and had the most amazing English breakfast -- I never got hungry until around 3 o'clock.
I've rented a car in the UK before, and while it was fine, it is a level of stress I didn't want this time around (I''m American... perhaps you're used to UK driving). I know my trip was vastly improved by leaving the driving to the bus driver on those small roads. (But again, my focus was to hike... not to visit lots of places.) And the buses/trains were always right on time -- I don't get that in Chicago.
As for the hills, they're for the most part, very easy. However, I recall my trek from Painswick to King Stanley was strenuous going uphill and was so glad to have my trekking poles which helped on really steep inclines, and balance for the decline. You really need ordnance survey maps and a compass -- some of the walks aren't always clearly marked -- but it's such a beautiful part of the world, don't let that hold you back.
I thought the Stanton to Snowshill walk (including Snowshill manor) was especially nice, and Chipping Campden to Broadway was well-marked and lovely. You'll want to start in the a.m. - the walks take longer than you think. I'm going to repeat my stay in Cheltenham in a few months because I loved it so much... and will NOT be renting a car.
Or, as flanneruk mentions, you may want to base in Chipping Campden or Winchcombe or Burford and you can do circular walks from there.
Have a great time!
For my walks around the Cotswold last September, I based myself in Cheltenham and used public transportation to the villages I wished to walk around (sometimes circular walks, sometimes from one village to another).
www.travelinesw.com is the site I used to plan the bus/train to the villages. I stayed at the George Hotel in Cheltenham which was a block from the bus terminal, and around a mile to the train (very walkable), and had the most amazing English breakfast -- I never got hungry until around 3 o'clock.
I've rented a car in the UK before, and while it was fine, it is a level of stress I didn't want this time around (I''m American... perhaps you're used to UK driving). I know my trip was vastly improved by leaving the driving to the bus driver on those small roads. (But again, my focus was to hike... not to visit lots of places.) And the buses/trains were always right on time -- I don't get that in Chicago.
As for the hills, they're for the most part, very easy. However, I recall my trek from Painswick to King Stanley was strenuous going uphill and was so glad to have my trekking poles which helped on really steep inclines, and balance for the decline. You really need ordnance survey maps and a compass -- some of the walks aren't always clearly marked -- but it's such a beautiful part of the world, don't let that hold you back.
I thought the Stanton to Snowshill walk (including Snowshill manor) was especially nice, and Chipping Campden to Broadway was well-marked and lovely. You'll want to start in the a.m. - the walks take longer than you think. I'm going to repeat my stay in Cheltenham in a few months because I loved it so much... and will NOT be renting a car.
Or, as flanneruk mentions, you may want to base in Chipping Campden or Winchcombe or Burford and you can do circular walks from there.
Have a great time!
Jan 12th, 2011, 08:43 AM
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"And the buses/trains were always right on time "
For the record: Cotswold buses have an enviably excellent punctuality record. Trains between Oxford and Southampton, and Oxford and the Cotswolds, though, are about as punctual as Italian trains pre-Mussolini. Always get the train before the one you really need to.
For the record: Cotswold buses have an enviably excellent punctuality record. Trains between Oxford and Southampton, and Oxford and the Cotswolds, though, are about as punctual as Italian trains pre-Mussolini. Always get the train before the one you really need to.
Jan 12th, 2011, 10:27 AM
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All of these responses are much appreciated! I will merge ideas from all of them and, as I too am American, will try to avoid car rental if possible, thereby lessening the likelihood of an accident. Thank you everyone who took the time to answer my query.
Jan 12th, 2011, 05:36 PM
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"<i> I too am American, will try to avoid car rental if possible, thereby lessening the likelihood of an accident.</i>"
Absolutely no reason to avoid renting a car. Thousands of Americans safely/successfully drive through the Cotswolds every summer. It is not hard at all- as long as you avoid driving in city centers.
Absolutely no reason to avoid renting a car. Thousands of Americans safely/successfully drive through the Cotswolds every summer. It is not hard at all- as long as you avoid driving in city centers.
Jan 12th, 2011, 11:27 PM
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"Absolutely no reason to avoid renting a car."
There absolutely is. For many people planning any serious walking, a car is a useless, expensive and polluting encumbrance. As ChgoGal and I agree: if you're planning decent walks, you're very unlikely to have time to go gawping at tourist tat shops in overcrowded coach-magnets.
Cars destroy the planet, cost a fortune and are a bloody nuisance. Using them when you don't need to is anti-social and financially silly. Using them unnecessarily in an area with perfectly good public transport and an exceptionally dense footpath network is every bit as dunderheaded as using them in the middle of a city.
There absolutely is. For many people planning any serious walking, a car is a useless, expensive and polluting encumbrance. As ChgoGal and I agree: if you're planning decent walks, you're very unlikely to have time to go gawping at tourist tat shops in overcrowded coach-magnets.
Cars destroy the planet, cost a fortune and are a bloody nuisance. Using them when you don't need to is anti-social and financially silly. Using them unnecessarily in an area with perfectly good public transport and an exceptionally dense footpath network is every bit as dunderheaded as using them in the middle of a city.
May 19th, 2011, 09:05 AM
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Hello, I hope it is okay if I piggyback on this thread. I am thinking of a trip to the Cotswolds with my family in August, and am very encouraged that a car is not required. Vacation, for us, does not include a lot of driving! Can anyone recommend a place to stay with good walking nearby, good dining options, and that is welcoming to kids? Thanks!
May 19th, 2011, 10:32 AM
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The only places in the Cotswolds with "good dining options" (plural) are Chipping Campden and Burford.
But can I strongly suggest you read my endless advocacy of carfree travel here very carefully.
I'm close to passionate about the non-necessity of a car for people like Chgo Gal, for academics wanting somewhere rural to stay while working in Oxford, or for adults working from home.
But I wouldn't wish it on even the brattiest of children. They can't spend the day walking, our weather's not reliable enough for them to be sure they can play outside all day, and even from the best-connected place in the Cotswolds (Charlbury, though it's rarely suitable as a place for visitors top stay for more than a day unless they're one of those academics), travelling daily by train or bus to different places can exhaust even the most inquisitive and book-loving child. The Cotswolds are truly dreadful to cycle in.
With children, a car's essential, if only as insurance. At which point, you're no longer dependent on microtown centre hotels, you can rent a cottage half a mile out (ie actually ON the footpaths) and you can drive to pubs miles away for meals, so your dining options change into anywhere within 5-10 miles.
But can I strongly suggest you read my endless advocacy of carfree travel here very carefully.
I'm close to passionate about the non-necessity of a car for people like Chgo Gal, for academics wanting somewhere rural to stay while working in Oxford, or for adults working from home.
But I wouldn't wish it on even the brattiest of children. They can't spend the day walking, our weather's not reliable enough for them to be sure they can play outside all day, and even from the best-connected place in the Cotswolds (Charlbury, though it's rarely suitable as a place for visitors top stay for more than a day unless they're one of those academics), travelling daily by train or bus to different places can exhaust even the most inquisitive and book-loving child. The Cotswolds are truly dreadful to cycle in.
With children, a car's essential, if only as insurance. At which point, you're no longer dependent on microtown centre hotels, you can rent a cottage half a mile out (ie actually ON the footpaths) and you can drive to pubs miles away for meals, so your dining options change into anywhere within 5-10 miles.
May 20th, 2011, 11:38 AM
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Hi pgoodpasture,
I really liked my time in Cheltenham at The George hotel and found this to be a great base town. I imagine (not sure) that parking is free in front of the hotel, and their full English b'fast is incredible. (I'm not one to wax rhapsodic about food but I've yet to forget how good my breakfasts were there.)
Cheltenham is certainly large enough to offer loads of dining options, and The George Hotel is 1/2 block from the central bus stop and about 1-1.5 miles to the train station.
I don't know anything about traveling with kids or how long their little legs can hold up on a walk that might turn cold, windy and rainy -- but the walk from Winchcombe to Sudeley Castle is easy, and there's a child's playground there -- and of course that wonderful, atmospheric house and church. And if the kids are a little older, the walk from Chipping Campden to Broadway Tower down to Broadway is long, but easy and lovely.
If you click on my name, you can find my trip report from early May that holds lots of links I used for preparing for my Cotswold travel. And I enlisted flannerUK's help often.
The Cotswolds are such a beautiful patch of the world -- I really hope you and your family will make it there.
I really liked my time in Cheltenham at The George hotel and found this to be a great base town. I imagine (not sure) that parking is free in front of the hotel, and their full English b'fast is incredible. (I'm not one to wax rhapsodic about food but I've yet to forget how good my breakfasts were there.)
Cheltenham is certainly large enough to offer loads of dining options, and The George Hotel is 1/2 block from the central bus stop and about 1-1.5 miles to the train station.
I don't know anything about traveling with kids or how long their little legs can hold up on a walk that might turn cold, windy and rainy -- but the walk from Winchcombe to Sudeley Castle is easy, and there's a child's playground there -- and of course that wonderful, atmospheric house and church. And if the kids are a little older, the walk from Chipping Campden to Broadway Tower down to Broadway is long, but easy and lovely.
If you click on my name, you can find my trip report from early May that holds lots of links I used for preparing for my Cotswold travel. And I enlisted flannerUK's help often.
The Cotswolds are such a beautiful patch of the world -- I really hope you and your family will make it there.
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